Bannockburn P-12 students Lucy Allan and Charlotte Scanlon want more Golden Plain Shire buses

Want to get to Geelong from Bannockburn on Saturday? One of just three Public Transport Victoria’s journey planner options is a four-hour bus and train ride. These Bannockburn P-12 students don’t think that’s good enough.

Bannockburn P-12 College Year 11 students Lucy Allan and Charlotte Scanlon are advocating for better bus services in the Golden Plain Shire. Picture: Brad Fleet

Frustrated Bannockburn students say a lack of transport in the area is leaving teens “bored” and disconnected from local support services.

Bannockburn P-12 student Charlotte Scanlon, 16, is one of six students from her school calling for more buses between Bannockburn and Geelong, especially on weekends.

Currently, only two direct buses, a 7.25am service and 12.16pm route, run from Bannockburn to Geelong on Saturdays.

While these trips take just 30 minutes, the only other Saturday Bannockburn to Geelong route option suggested by Public Transport Victoria’s online journey planner is a bus and two trains through Ballarat and Melbourne.

That trip takes four hours.

Charlotte said the student group started two years ago, when the then year 9 students realised the area’s youth were turning to destructive hobbies out of sheer boredom.

“A lot of other kids found menacing ways to be social, so in Bannockburn like there was a lot of disruption,” Charlotte said.

“(Young people) just hang around and drink or run around the street doing silly things like vandalism or climbing onto buildings.

“They were bored.”

While midweek buses are more frequent, three daily V/Line buses run and one CDC Geelong route – options are still limited.

In 2023 Bannockburn residents called for the return of a Geelong to Ballarat passenger train line.

Passenger trains ceased stopping at Bannockburn in 1972, and while freight trains still use the tracks, they aren’t suitable for passenger vehicles.

Bannockburn P-12 College Year 11 students Charlotte Scanlon and Lucy Allan believe there are a lack of bus services in the Golden Plain Shire. Picture: Brad Fleet

Charlotte said the group had emailed V/Line, The Golden Plains Shire and PTV, but nothing had been done.

Year 11 Bannockburn P-12 student Lucy Allan, 16, lives in Shelford, about 30 minutes outside Bannockburn, and said students faced difficulty getting to Geelong for tertiary study.

She said wakes up at 5.30am to get a lift into Geelong with her dad for her Year 11 leadership class at The Gordon TAFE, and then has to wait for him to finish work to get a lift back to school.

“Both my parents work, I don’t wanna rely on them and put extra stress on them for that,” Lucy said.

In 2023 residents called for increased transport diversity to the area, after a G21 prediction that by 2041 the 22km journey from Bannockburn to Geelong could take 45 minutes due to traffic.

Bannockburn P-12 wellbeing teacher Jessica Wills said the lack of public transport to Geelong meant some students were missed opportunities study tertiary courses or were even disengaging from school completely.

“I see students struggle to get the services they need as places like headspace are tricky to get to without parents driving them,” Ms Wills said.

“Students also have difficulties accessing VET courses or re-engagement programs.”

A Golden Plains Shire spokesman said improving public transport connections was “vital” to manage the growth of the region.

“We acknowledge the challenges facing young people in our local communities and we strongly believe everyone in the Shire deserves better access to public transport,” the spokesman said.

The department of transport was contacted for comment.

Originally published as Bannockburn P-12 students Lucy Allan and Charlotte Scanlon want more Golden Plain Shire buses